E3 2013: Quick thoughts on Killer Instinct on Xbox One

From what I played at E3 2013, they shouldn’t be disappointed. Rare and Double Helix bring back the combo-crazy title and it plays almost exactly like the original. Fans won’t be disappointed as they hit linked buttons to pull off 20- or 30-hit combos. For experts, they’ll know what combinations to press, and for newbies, they can stumble onto them by mashing light, medium and hard punches and kicks as though they were piano keys.

On the Xbox One, the visuals get a definite improvement along with the interface, which now has a bar that shows whether players can pull of a shadow move. It’s like an EX version of a special in Street Fighter 4. The matches still follow the same single-round format, where players have two life bars. If a rival loses one life bar, he collapses and gets back up while the other players can still be on his first life bar and have a distinct advantage. In addition, there seems to be a X-Factor type move that boosts a character’s stats during a match and gives him the power of the glow. It can only be used after the first knockdown and seems to function like a comeback mechanic.

The only two characters available were Jago and Sabrewolf and both were easy to use. According to USA Today, Killer Instinct will be free-to-play. I assume the model will include characters that players must buy if they want to be included in their game. It’s an interesting format for the genre, but seeing how most players stick to one character, it’s a format that could work.